


The Fate of the Chargers

by Reeshi



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Action/Adventure, Bull's Chargers, Chateau d’Onterre, Corypheus Dead, Dragon Age: Inquisition Spoilers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Love, M/M, Multi, Orlais, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-27
Updated: 2017-11-11
Packaged: 2019-01-06 02:00:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12201639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reeshi/pseuds/Reeshi
Summary: In the wake of Corypheus's demise and the end of the war, people across Thedas seek a return to normalcy. Lord Inquisitor Tegan Trevelyan has broken off his budding relationship with The Iron Bull to pursue the arrogant and dashing Dorian Pavus. Dorian was the safer, easier choice for an Inquisitor struggling to find relevance as part of a faction that seemed to no longer be needed. An alignment with a prominent family in the Tevinter Imperium was a better bet than with a Tal-Vashoth mercenary leader, no matter how unconventional the match.At the end of the war, Empress Celene gifted several properties in Orlais to Inquisitor Trevelyan as thanks for his service to the crown. In an effort to quell the rumors flying that a Qunari was sitting at his right hand, Inquisitor Trevelyan passed along the Chateau d’Onterre to The Iron Bull and his Chargers. Tucked neatly out of the way, buried on a cliffside in the Emerald Graves, the Inquisitor knew it was the perfect place for them. Close enough to do his bidding, far enough to hide his shame.It's here that we find Bull and his Chargers with a new member of the team, Neriah Lavellan, who has caught Bull's eye and seeks to mend his broken heart.





	1. A New Home

“Welcome Home Chargers!” Bull’s voice boomed, echoing through the now empty rooms of Chateau d’Onterre.

“Home?” I questioned, as the rest of the chargers let out a cheer and scampered off to explore the estate.

“Yes home,” Bull replied pulling me to him with a firm hand wrapped around my waist. “Is that a problem?”

“N…no,” I stammered. Months into our relationship and I still always managed to get flustered when we were alone. “I’m just confused. What do you mean by home?”

“After we cleared out the Chateau,” he explained, grimacing at the memory of the demon they’d fought here several months ago. “Empress Celine claimed the estate as hers before gifting it to the Inquisition. The Inquisitor was then kind enough to gift it to the Chargers as a new base of operations.”

“He wanted you gone?”

“He wanted me gone.” Bull couldn’t hide bitterness in his voice.

“I’m sorry Bull,” I whispered as I touched his cheek, “I really am.” I didn’t try to hide my sadness, Bull’s Ben-Hassrath training would let him see right through me anyway. My heart ached for him but at the same time it was moments like these that reminded me that I was little more than a replacement.

He took my hand in his. “Neriah, I…” his voice trailed off.

“It’s fine,” I said, more harshly than I intended. “I’m going to go find a bunk.” I removed myself from his grasp and picked up my things, avoiding eye contact as I went to find the rest of the team.

Designed for defense in every aspect, the Chateau d’Onterre was situated in the eastern portion of the Emerald Graves near Silverspray Perch at the top of Silver Falls. Its tall walls of smooth white and blue stucco and light gray stone seemed to soar endlessly against the steep rocky cliffs of the mountain the property backed up too. The outer walls of the property were more of a single, long, skinny building with turrets. In it was housed rooms useable for storage, guard and servant quarters, and a rather large armory. There was a deep ravine surrounding the plateau and the only access to the estate was an ornate, well built, stone bridge flanked on either end by massive iron gates and statues carved from the finest Nevarran Marble. It was the only way in… and the only way out.

Everyone had heard about the fate of House d’Onterre after the Inquisitor had returned from The Graves with Bull and the others. Sera didn’t shut up about it for a month and Dorian had, on more than one occasion, sat in Herald’s Rest regaling us of the details of their terrifying and simultaneously heroic defeat of the demon that had possessed the d’Onterre’s daughter. While Dorian and Sera told and retold the tale of their adventure, shocking patrons of tavern, the serving girls, the Inquisition soldiers and scouts, and anyone else that happened to pass by, all I could feel was overwhelming sadness for the young girl whose spirit was lost to a demon because of her parents’ hubris.

I knew Bull felt sadness too. He balked. In the fight against the demon something happened and he balked, for a millisecond, just long enough for Dorian to step in and snatch away the Inquisitor’s affections. In truth though, there was no hesitation. It was a frost spell that stunned Bull. The Inquisitor should have recognized it and been amazed at how quickly Bull broke free but he didn’t. Lord Trevelyan was only human after all, and his magical experience only started the morning of the explosion at the conclave, he’d have made a lousy templar.

I dwelled on things as I explored the beautiful halls of the Chateau. This wasn’t just a random gift to the Chargers. No, this was a reminder to shame Bull because the Inquisitor had become petty in the months since Corypheus was finally defeated. His pettiness and his own shame caused him to informally banish The Chargers from Skyhold and many of others with them. The Inquisitor needed the Chantry’s backing to maintain his position of power and now that the former First Enchanter has been elected Divine, people like us needed to be tucked out of sight.

My exploration of the Chateau took longer than I intended but it allowed me to think some things through. By the time I’d caught up with the rest of the team they were crowding into the little dining room off the courtyard chatting about how best to use the building. I grabbed a hunk of bread and some cheese from my pack as I set my things down in a corner and perched myself on the edge of one of the tables. There was quite a heated argument going on about who would and should sleep where and what the various rooms in the building should be used for. I nibbled on my bread and laughed out loud when Rocky suggested using the larger office at the very top of the building as a privy.

“What’s so funny Sparks?” Rocky asked, sneering slightly.

I was so new to the team that the inner circle of The Bull’s Chargers were still a little skeptical about my intentions. I knew I needed to choose my next words carefully. “Sorry Rocky. I just think using a space like that as a priv is funny.”

“Well, you got a better idea?”

“Cool it Rocky,” Krem interrupted. “Sparks is a lot smarter than you lot give her credit for. She might actually know a thing to two about using a space like this to our advantage. Whatdya think Sparky?”

“Well,” I started. “I do think that the building has a lot of potential. Empress Celine went through a lot of trouble to clean it up before gifting it to Lord Inquisitor Trevelyan. She cleaned this up as a home though and not a base of operations for a force this large.”

“Obviously,” Skinner chimed in, bitter as always.

“Shut it,” Krem ordered.

I looked across the room directly at Bull and continued, “For starters I think that Bull needs to take the Master’s Bedroom upstairs and Krem should take the second large bedroom next to that.”

“Again, obviously.” Skinner was about to say more but Krem short her a look that made her think twice about continuing.

“There is little need for store rooms in the main house when there are so many in the outer buildings. There is one down the hall from here, just off the ballroom, that could be turned into a private bedroom for Skinner and Dalish, they deserve a little privacy now that they’re married. There is even an extra bed in the servants’ quarters for them.” This made skinner blush shades of red I’d personally never seen before. “The servants’ quarters have 5 single beds and a second double bed so that would sleep Grim, Stitches, Rocky, Blue, and at least 3 more people of Bull’s choosing like maybe Adaar or Vash or even Blackwall now that he’s decided to join us.”

“And the upper office?” Rocky asked.

“The office would make the perfect infirmary. It’s well away from everything else so its remoteness allows any illness in the ranks to be isolated.”

“You’ve really thought this out Sparks,” Bull said. He sounded impressed.

“A little,” I responded. I could feel the tips of my hears burning as I blushed. “I am used to having to pack camp and move a lot. Repurposing locations like this is basically second nature at this point. Like the ballroom…”

“What about it?”

“It would make an excellent training facility. The raised dance floor would could be a sparring ring, the upper balcony would be a good place for training dummies, and the area off to the side could make for a great archery range. On the other end of the house we could use the gallery downstairs for mage practice and the library is overflowing with books to be studied, especially considering the history of this house.”

“Why would we put a training yard indoors?” Rocky complained. “That’s stupid when we have this huge inner courtyard.”

“There is more space in the two levels of the ballroom than the courtyard could ever offer. I would suggest making the formal gardens of the courtyard into a dining area where all The Chargers can gather in the open air. We can stretch canvases across the space to offer shade and at least some weather protection. We can do a lot with this place. There is room for at least three armories in the outer walls and more than enough room for the bulk of the crew to bunk in the old troops’ quarters there.”

“And where do YOU plan to sleep Sparky?” Rocky chided. “At the foot of the boss’s bed?”

“THAT IS ENOUGH ROCKY!” Krem barked. “One more quip like that and you’ll sleep on the damn bridge on guard duty for the next year and you’ll get no access to your explosives either. I’ll make you fight on the line with the main force.”

“Andraste’s ass you will.”

“Try me Rocky. I dare you. Sparks is a member of the Chargers now and a damned good fighter. She saved your life when that horror of a dragon spit it’s lyrium laced fire at you even though you’ve treated her like shit since she joined us. You need to grow up.”

“It’s just a little hazing Krem, lighten up.”

“Enough both of you,” Bull interrupted with a growl so menacing it made me flinch. “If anyone else has something to say about my personal relationship with Sparks, I _highly_ suggest you keep it to yourself.”

Through the entire exchange I sat there, head down, watching my feet as they swung back and forth under me and the edge of the table. I knew I was blushing at this point. It was hard to listen when people felt the need to talk about me as though I wasn’t even there. “The only logical place for me to sleep is the library,” I said, looking Bull straight in the eye. “Even with the ancient wards in place it is best if us mages slept at opposite ends of the house with Blue in between us for safety’s sake. Plus, the library needs to be cataloged and I will likely be there studying most of the time anyway.”

I hopped off my perch, grabbed my things, and left, not wanting to talk about it anymore. For years I’d helped lead the forces of my clan as First to the Keeper. I knew strategy and how to hold a camp. Many of the Chargers gave me very little credit, even though Bull and Krem both saw my value and considered me an asset to the team. It was exhausting trying to continually prove myself. I’d saved the lives of so many of the Chargers, but Bull’s inner circle would forever consider me an outsider. I was just too new.

I made my way up to the library to figure out what I wanted to do with the place. The room was cavernous with rows upon rows of bookshelves that reached nearly to the ceiling. “Thank Mythal for magic,” I muttered. It took me a few hours and most of my energy to set things to my liking. I moved several shelves to the back of the room and set them up as makeshift walls creating a tiny bedroom for myself. I brought in a small bed and side table from the barracks, a plush chair and a few side tables from the main hall, and a small wooden chair and table from a storage room to serve as a place for me to take my dinners. I arranged them around my make shift bedroom to my liking and went about cleaning up the library.

It was well past sunset when I realized how weak I was getting. A long day of work and little food had me exhausted so I made my way down to the kitchen to look for something to eat. The smell hit me before I’d even left the gallery, like the summer feasts of my childhood, back when my mother would spend hours standing over the enormous open iron pots preparing the very best meals. I poked my head into the kitchen and found Dalish standing at the hearth, stirring away. “Dalish are you making…” my voice trailed off, afraid to ask.

“Oh, hey Sparks,” Dalish said. “And yes I’m making a snack.”

“That’s no snack,” I squealed. “I haven’t had Sweetberry in AGES!”

“I figured you might like a taste of home.”

“Me? But…”

“Listen Sparks. The guys have been giving you a much harder time than you deserve. I already chewed Skinner’s arse over it, though she really feels like bronto shit over the whole thing. It was really sweet of you to suggest she and I have some privacy. Now shush and let me finish this up.”

Sweetberry. It had been so, so long since I’d had it and it was an hours long process to make. First you have to gather berries, lots and lots of berries. The sweet red ones that grew near rivers, the tart blue ones that thrived in the shade, the purple and pink ones, the dark black ones, and they needed to be picked the same day that you wanted to cook them.  Once all the berries were gathered they needed to be gently washed before adding them to a huge iron cauldron where they would slowly cook down over a small fire with something acidic added, like lemon juice or sweet vinegar. As you slowly heated and stirred the berries they would start to pop. Once at least one berry of each type in the pot popped, a mage was needed to douse the fire and cool the pot down so that it was just the right temperature to keep the berries warm but not allow them to cook any further. Once the berries were done, wild grains were crumbled together with honey, flour, butter, and an assortment of nuts and baked until crispy. While the crumble was baking, buckets of fresh halla cream would be strained and lighting whisked with a few handfuls of finely ground sugar. Once the cream was whisked to a froth and thoroughly strained to make is smooth it would be stored in a large chilled cauldron. 

Once everything was prepared the three parts would be left separate for everyone to fix to their own liking. Dalish was just finishing up as I walked in and was laying out the components with some large bowls. She gestured for me to go ahead and I giddily complied. I liked my Sweetberry with a lot of crunch so I first layers in some crumble, then some berries, then some more crumble, and some more berries, and then a ton more crumble before drizzling everything with a cup full of the delicious halla cream. Dalish was laughing at me before I was done making my bowl. “Hungry?” she asked.

“Famished. I spent all day making a corner of the library into a bedroom.”

“I saw.”

“You did?”

Dalish started giggling again. “I did. I poked my head in to check and see if you were okay but you were so embroiled in your work I figured it was better to leave you be and came down here to cook.”

“Where did you find all these berries anyway?”

“Bull sent Rocky and some of the newbies to gather whatever food was ripe and available. They came back with a ton of stuff, I just commandeered the berries.”

“Wait,” I say, not even trying to hide my surprise. “Rocky was sent berry picking?”

“Yep. All day. Bull is pretty pissed. Skinner went with them voluntarily like some sort of penance for being a bitch.”

I was the one laughing now. Skinner and Rocky berry picking made one hell of a picture in my head. They were some of the least likely people on the team to ever even consider frolicking through meadows gathering food. Dailish joined in with my laughter and apologized again on Skinner’s behalf. “Do you want me to have some of this sent up to your room?” she asked, gesturing at the huge amount of food before us.

“I’m sure there are plenty of hungry people to feed first Dalish, but thank you.”

“Well, halla cream isn’t exactly palatable for most shems so how about I send up any leftovers?”

“Works for me. Thank you Dalish, seriously.” I say as I stuff my mouth full of the delicious concoction. “Mmmmmmmm. This is so good.”

I was practically moaning all the way back to my room struggling not to gorge myself on the rich dessert. It was getting late and as tired as I was, I decided I was going to go ahead and chow down in bed.

I settled in quickly, setting the sweetberry on the bedside table next to the book on local fauna and flora I’d left out for myself to read, stripping off my gear, and slipping into a soft linen shirt and a clean pair of underthings before climbing onto the bed. I perched myself on of the pile of soft furs that served as my bed covers, reached for my book and bowl, and screamed.


	2. Hard Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neriah and Bull talk about some hard truths.

“ELGAR’NAN’S BALLS!”

A slow, almost menacing, smirk spread across Bull’s rugged, silvery face. He’d perched himself on the dining chair tucking himself firmly in the shadows… where he’d always been… and would always belong. I shouldn’t have been surprised to see him there, but I was. 

“How did you get in here?”

Bull pointed at the window behind me. I raised an eyebrow and set my bowl on the side table as I turned around to peer out the window. At first I saw nothing and crawled further out onto the wide window sill to peer around the shutters. There it was, a small trellis that crept up the side of the building right between the two windows on the outer wall of my makeshift bedroom. I hadn’t noticed and failed to add wards to the windows. I sighed and drooped my shoulders in such a way that I must have looked like I was slipping. Bull had me by the waist instantly and I let out a squeak as he yanked me back inside.

“I wasn’t going to fall, Bull.”

“Not worth the risk,” he hissed into my ear, pressing my small frame firmly against his torso. 

I relaxed a little, leaning into his warmth, tilting my head back to rest it against his shoulder. There were few things in the world that matched the feeling of safety that came from his thick arms wrapped around me from behind. I felt invincible in moments like this, and it made it too easy to forget our troubles.

“What are you thinking about?” he whispered in my ear.

“Nothing really,” I replied.

Bull let out a little growl and spun me around so he could look at my face. He studied my face for a moment before muttering “Liar.”

“It’s just been a draining few weeks is all. Seriously, it’s noth……”

Bull kissed me before I could finish. It was slow… demanding… HARD. With a passion I’d never felt from him, a need I didn’t understand. The kiss left me breathless to the point I had to pull away. I searched his face for answers. There was something in his eye I didn’t recognize. Fear. “Bull what’s wrong? What are you afraid of?”

He winced at the word. Bull hated, HATED, anyone to know that he was capable of being afraid of anything. “Honestly?” He asked. 

“Of course honestly,” I replied. 

“Losing you.”

“Wha…”

He pressed a single finger to my lips. “Let me talk, this is gonna be awkward enough as is. I need you to just listen for a minute.” He shifted our position so that we could sit comfortably on the suddenly too small bed.

“Okay.”

“Neriah, I have not been good to you…”

“What?”

“Let. Me. Speak,” he growled. 

“Sorry.”

“I’m the one who needs to be sorry. I really have done wrong by you over the past few weeks,” he paused and let out a ragged sigh. “Months. I’ve been unfair for MONTHS. You were there for me when no one else was, in a way no one else could be. I know I’ve taken that for granted and I’m sorry.

“Bull, you have nothing to be sorry for.”

“But I do. I’ve been dismissive of you feelings and needs. I’ve been so wrapped up in all the bullshit going on with the war, and the team, and…”

“And Tegan.”

“And Tegan.” Bull still couldn’t even look at me when he said the Inquisitor’s name. 

I cupped his face in my hands and tilted it up so I could look him in the eye. “Bull what happened with your and the Inquisitor was not your fault. You know that. Dorian is a spiteful little shit. He was jealous and took advantage. And Tegan…”

“Neriah, don’t…”

“Don’t what? Tell you the truth? Tegan wronged you Bull. He wronged YOU not the other way around. If his affections were true and his feelings real he never would have walked away from you like that. I don’t care what anyone thinks or says, Tegan isn’t a Prince or a King. He has no reason to from a political marriage but he is pursuing one anyway. He’s power hungry. He thinks aligning with Tevinter is going to garner him some sort of favor and allow him to keep some kind of political pull.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do know that. And HE knows that. And he also doesn’t know how foolish he was when he let you go.”

“But...”

“Now it’s my turn to talk. You are a good man. Fuck the Qun. Fuck the Chargers. Fuck the war. You. Are. A. Good. Man. If nothing else existed but your soul bared naked for all the world to see you wouldn’t be the big scary monster your reputation makes you out to be. You looked out for me when no one else would have. You had faith in my abilities and made me a member of the Chargers when the rest of the team were skeptical. I’ve seen you do so many wonderful things to help people without a moment’s thought. You would sacrifice your life to protect any of us. Bull, I love you. And I know that you may not feel the same, and that’s okay, and…” my voice cracked as I tried to get the words out. 

“Sssshhhhhhhh,” he cooed. “What in Thedas are you going on about?”

“I’m sorry, it’s just… I dunno. I hate the thought that you would even worry that I’d go somewhere. I love you. I love you and there is no place in all the world I would rather be than right here with you.”

Bull pulled me closer and buried his face in the crook of my neck. Feeling the tension in his arms, I rested my cheek on top of his head and lightly stroked his shoulder. “Bull what aren’t you telling me? And don’t say nothing, I know you better than that.”


End file.
